A donkey who led her small herd of equines to safety as the High Park Fire raged. A cat born with a spinal deformity who becomes a pet therapist, cheering up disabled children. And a dog who saw his owner through cancer treatment, inspiring his human to be just as loyal when the pooch fractured a leg. They — along with a few two-legged animal-welfare heroes — will get star treatment beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at PetAid Colorado’s Animal Heroes awards ceremony. The event at the Pepsi Center The Ridgeline. The event’s $20 ticket price is a tax-deductible donation to PetAid Colorado, an organization that helps pets of underprivileged and at-risk humans get health care and remain with their owners. To buy tickets, go to petaidcolorado.org and follow the prompts or call 303-539-7638.

A dog b-a-t-h that’s g-r-e-e-n

The new Paws & Tails store set to open Saturday at 11435 E. Briarwood Ave., Arapahoe County, will have a feature its owners say is the only one in Colorado: an Anivac pet wash, which reportedly uses 90 percent less water than a conventional tub-and-sprayer setup. The vacuum-like device is also said to pull more water out of a dog’s coat, leaving pet and owner drier. The locally owned, independent store has 4,500 square feet of space with food, toys, a bathing area and a pet photo studio. And trained humans. shoppawsandtails.com, 303-515-7233.

My husband and I are retired. We married 12 years ago — several years after his ex had an affair and left him. My husband has two grown sons (around 40), one of whom is married. The married son and his wife essentially ignore that I exist.